E*RNEST, a new interactive one-act adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest by Saawan Tiwari, is set to make its world premiere at the Glessner House (1800 S. Prairie Ave) with two performances on August 29th, produced by *theatre in partnership with PopUp Productions.
As Chicago summer comes to a close, a group of friends stumble into the historic Glessner House and perform Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Will they remember it all? Maybe. Will they need your help? Absolutely. Will it be gay as hell? Without a doubt. In this new adaptation, experience 100 minutes of camp, romance, comedy, and tomfoolery in a picturesque gilded-age courtyard, where one really must answer the question — how important is it to be E*rnest?
The cast of E*RNEST (photo by Michael Izquierdo). From left: Quenna Lené Barrett, Jose Alexander Martínez, Rafael Gray López, Lucky☆, Saawan Tiwari, Marck Kiselevach, and Vilmarie Rosario.
The cast includes Lucky☆ (Smokefall) as Algernon Moncrieff, Rafael Gray López (Angry Fags) as John Worthing, Jose Alexander Martínez (Scandalous Boy) as Gwendolen Fairfax, Saawan Tiwari (The Unfortunates) as Cecily Cardew, Quenna Lené Barrett (Splash Hatch on the E Going Down) as Lady Bracknell, Marck Kiselevach (Arms and the Man) as Reverend Chasuble, and Vilmarie Rosario (Smokefall) as Miss Prism. The performance will also feature an original score performed live by Michael Morales, with lighting design by Josiah Croegaert.
In the inaugural production of *theatre, artistic partners Saawan Tiwari, Rafael Gray López, and Lucky☆ hope to celebrate Chicago’s unique theatrical and architectural traditions. “The three of us had been joking about doing this show,” says Saawan Tiwari, “and when we started to consider making it real, and looking for venues, we learned that Mrs. Glessner actually met Oscar Wilde on Valentine’s Day in 1882 and wrote about it in her diary. It felt like a sign.”
“The support we have received from the theatre community in Chicago has been overwhelming,” says Rafael Gray López. “Everyone has been so down, like immediately asking, ‘How can I help?’ It’s so cool.”
“I am so excited for people to see what we are creating together,” adds Lucky☆. “Getting to make theatre I am proud of with people I care about has been so healing for me as an artist. I just can’t wait to share it with the world.”
E*RNEST performs on Saturday, August 29th, at 3:30pm and 7:30pm at the Glessner House (1800 S. Prairie Ave).
Seats may be reserved for E*RNEST at https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/asterisktheatre/e-rnest
About *theatre: Started as a bit between friends, *theatre (pronounced “asterisk theatre”) unites the talents of Saawan Tiwari, Lucky☆, and Rafael Gray López under one moniker to deliver slightly off-kilter theatrical projects. Inspired by the six points of the Chicago star, and the cheeky use of an asterisk as both a tool to stand in or censor, *theatre strives for the following: compassion, intention, provocation, invitation, incantation, and invasion. E*RNEST is the first venture under this new artistic partnership.